Business Schools Use Software, Online Groups To Combat Plagiarism in Admissions

Turnitin for Admissions, integrated with the ApplyYourself application system, checks documents against current and archived material on the Internet, documents previously submitted to Turnitin, and proprietary material from publishers, aggregators, and syndicators to determine their originality.

"Previously, verification of our three application essays has not been possible," said Evelyn Tate, director of graduate recruitment and admissions at Northeastern University Graduate School of Business Administration. "Our admissions staff could not invest the incredible amount of time required to attempt to do what Turnitin for Admissions does in seconds. With the growing call for ethics in business (and business schools), we are looking forward to increasing the honesty and integrity of the business school application process through the use of Turnitin for Admissions."

Penn State's Smeal College of Business was the first business school to start using Turnitin after MBA Director of Admissions Carrie Marcinkevage and her staff uncovered 29 instances of plagiarized applications in 2010.

Marcinkevage has also started Integrity in MBA Admissions, an online group for business school admissions professionals to discuss plagiarism and how to combat it.

The topic will also be addressed at the 2011 GMAC Admissions Directors Symposium at the Boston Marriott Copley Place June 21 and 22. A meeting hosted by Turnitin for Admissions will follow on June 23, also at the Marriott.